- The All Blacks narrowed the gap on the Springboks after a convincing Bledisloe Cup victory over Australia on Saturday
- New Zealand claimed a 2-0 series sweep, picking up ranking points that moved them within striking distance of the top spot
- Australia's defeat cost them ranking points and saw them drop to seventh place in the updated standings
The Springboks remain the world's top-ranked rugby side, but New Zealand are closing in after the All Blacks completed a dominant Bledisloe Cup series sweep against Australia over the weekend.
Under coach Dave Rennie, the All Blacks defeated the Wallabies 43-21 in Sydney on Saturday, completing a comprehensive 2-0 series triumph. The opening match had already signalled New Zealand's intentions, with a 50-19 demolition of Australia in Auckland.
All Blacks move within 0.82 points of Springboks
The Sydney victory earned New Zealand 0.46 ranking points, lifting them to 92.27 points in the [World Rugby] standings.
The Springboks, who did not feature in international action that weekend, held firm at 93.09 points, leaving a gap of just 0.82 between the two sides.
Australia paid the price for their series defeat, shedding 0.46 points to fall to seventh place on 84.43 points, dropping behind Scotland in the process.
Updated World Rugby rankings
The top 10 currently reads as follows: South Africa (93.09), New Zealand (92.27), Ireland (88.08), France (87.43), England (85.68), Scotland (84.78), Australia (84.43), Argentina (82.24), Japan (77.28) and Fiji (76.81).
Ireland and France continue to occupy third and fourth, respectively, with England holding fifth and Scotland climbing above Australia into sixth on the strength of the Wallabies' weekend results.
Wales (76.38), Italy (76.30), Georgia (73.94) and Portugal (69.39) round out the top 14, with the USA, Chile, Spain, Uruguay, Tonga and Samoa completing the top 20.
The narrowing gap between South Africa and New Zealand sets up a compelling rivalry heading into the next round of international fixtures, with the Springboks' lead now the smallest it has been in recent months.
Source: Briefly News